A: Pours almost black. Totally opaque in the glass with slight deep ruby tinges when held against the light. Lacing is sparse and uneven. Right after a hearty pour, a 2mm mocha brown head forms which quickly dissipates.

S: Sweet, with strong vanilla and caramel notes and a whisper of bourbon.

T&M: Surprisingly crisp at first, first flavors are vanilla with a nose of bourbon. After a decent stretch it quickly flips to an artfully hoppy finish. The aftertaste is hoppy on the back of my palette and my lips tasting sweet. The mouthfeel is crisp yet hearty.. satisfying and while not overly muddy.

O: I'm honestly surprised at how much I like this. Although admittedly I'm not a connoisseur of stouts, this one has so much to offer. Not only is the novelty flavor apparent in such a rewarding way, but it still can give hopheads something to appreciate too. This brew is so skillfully balanced it's no surprise Southern Tier is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries.

Wow, awesome aroma for this beer. Smells like butterscotch, caramel, and vanailla. Really nice pour, medium tan head. Flavor was very good, but got to be a little too sweet for me. The vanilla, in particular, was a little too overpowering for me. Bomber bottle is way too much for me. Really unique brew.

A: Pours a jet black with a thin tan mousse that doesn't linger all that long.

S: Aromas of cream, milk chocolate, roasted grain, and coffee dominate the nose. Like many American stouts, there is a slightly boozy, alcoholic aroma present as well.

T: Notes of heavy cream, milk chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, burnt toast, roasted grain, and warming alcohol are present on the palate. The finish is smooth with a combination of chocolate, cream, and coffee notes reminiscent of a cream liqueur.

M: Creamy, silky, and smooth in the mouth, this beer displays very full body. Carbonation is a bit fizzy and is very noticeable. All in all, drinking a glass of this beer is a challenge because it feels like drinking heavy cream. It's a bit too thick to be really appealing.

O: This beer was pretty good at first, but that ridiculously heavy mouthfeel and that exaggerated cream flavor conspire to ruin the experience. Southern Tier obviously has no problem creating big beers, but they seem to lack the ability to consistently craft them with balance. As is, Creme Brulee isn't horrible, but is difficult to drink and tastes synthetic. Other breweries do this type of beer better.

T: Carmelized/burnt sugar and vanilla cream. Lingering sweetness and burnt note. Toning down the burnt flavor would up the score on this portion. It's sweet but, frankly, not overwhelmingly so; less than your typical port.

M: Medium-high carbonation and full body. Milky mouthfeel. The alcohol is a bit noticeable. A bit sticky on the lips.

O: Unique and pretty tasty as a dessert beer. Not one that you'd want to put back a lot of--fatigue sets in after about 6oz--but it works.

T/M - sweet yet a bit of burnt bitterness sits in the back. Vanilla is very much to the forefront and hangs around. Thinner in body than expectted. There is an astringent bitterness that floats over the sweetness.

Appearance: Dark brown, with a ½” tan head that recedes to a ring. Lots of lacing.

Smell: Big vanilla and caramel with a slight hint of roasted malt.

Taste: Sweet, sweet, vanilla/caramel hits the palate first. I was ready for sweet, but this is easily the sweetest beer I’ve ever had. Then the beer moves to a bitter malt finish with heavy on the bitter, this beer is almost “bi-polar”. I would not call it balanced as the sweetness and bitterness are very separate and distinct. In-fact the bitterness lingers as an aftertaste that is not all that pleasant.

Mouthfeel: I kept this beer cold and kept returning the bottle to the fridge after each pour and still I found it overly cloying. As it warmed in the glass it got worse.

Overall: I was expecting an extreme beer and got one, but even as a sweet/milk stout this was over the top. I admit drinking the whole bomber was way too much, maybe as a small pour desert beer this could work but I highly doubt I’d buy it again.